St. Landry democrat., 1887-03-19
NUMBER 10.


and are yonr people compelling you to-
marry him for the Ike of his money!
Her tone is half playful, half serious,
wholly winning.
/ Nadine gives up to it.
"'No. 1t is not that, " she says, "My
niother would be the last to urge nue. to-
such a marriage And---and--he is not,
! old or ugly, or overDurdened with
wealth.
Am I to thirk, then, that he is
! young, and handsome, and poor, and that
you are still blind to his attractions?'
"Thay is it, returns Nadine family.
"I-Wi!an he is with me, talking to me
looking 30 kindly at nle (he is very kindf
i tell myself that l do love him. But
when he is away frorn-- All" with a
quick sh1dder, II know then that my
thought l. vain
Romance is deadrf declares Miss
Grey. Handsome as an Apollo, and
poor and yet You cannot be touched with
the eternal fire. Fie upon you, then, You
degenerate girl. After all'i-with a sud
den change of tone from the melo-
dramatic into the distinctly common
pl1ce-''you are just like me. Ny young
nan tphrase borrowed from Mary Jane,
you will perceive) is quite all you have
ltSttlbti yours 10 De-DurflnS Ile pow
erty-and yet like him quite as little as
yor do yours. -
"My dear Millicent! And ALWAYS
understood that
''It was to be true love match! A
very ideal marriage! A veritable cooing
affair! Dsabuse your mind of that at
Gnce, m good girl. 1t is match loved.
indeed, bE my aunt and my other aunt;
out by nobody else, SO far as | can see
He is to have me and auntie's money; I
am to have him and his mammy's money
That's the arrangement. Fancy being
flung upon a season with such stone
around ones neck, and expected to en-
joy ones seif!''
at is your cousin?'
Yes: Grant Boyle. You have never
seen him; SO | may as we'll say he is as
good looking as any girl could desire,
save me. | am bent on an ugly man,
Nadine-be sure of that. Simply because
ke is handsome, / dislike him 80 much
And yet"-she breaks Off, and little
angry laugh widens her Eps-''when you
said a moment since that so long as
your lover was with you you liked him,
out that when he was gone you felt the
full weight Of his disagreeability press
upon you, you said exactly what [ should
L.
'"That is strange-a coincidence. But
but why marry him, if you feel SO to
Mr.. Boylcs''
Captain, an it please you, madame.
He is one of her majesty's men am
not SO sure that I shall marry him. But
| have been pressed into the matter be-
cause of auntie's desire to see me Mrs.
Boyle there is a remote title somewhere
in the family, that she believes will some
day descend upon me, and make me my
ladyo So l am supposed to be willing
to barter my present for the sake of my
future. But | am notl So there"' She
somewhat angrily rattles the poker
against the bars of the CRATE as she
speaks. Then she looks up sharply at
her companion. Why are you marrying
Mr.. -? You did not mention his name,
by the by.''
"Paul Annerley"
"A masterful name-nearly as bad as
Grant, Boyle-that sounds like the resist
less rock as the wave beats hopelessly
against it, She pauses as though sunk
in light reverie II am not a hopeless
wave, however, " she continues presently,
her pause being so slight as to be almost
imperceptible. "A rock myself, rather.
Yet look so frail-so fragiler' She gets,
up ftiitt W 10 uliTTOI, anu
back the soft silky hair from her low
brow examines her face critically. Yes
"a rock..' she says decisively. $50, if
my dear cousin does not improve on ac-
quaintance, I warn him 1 shall not be
dragged TO the altar to suit his whim
I'd cut OF my hair first! 1t was by the
hair the medieval parent dragged his
child, cllg'' she asks, turning to Nadine
with Il sudden smile
~ believe you like your cousin. under
it all, says Nadine, laughing
We'll, | do, and l DON'T as I have al
ready said. just now, / don't. But
there are few men in town so handsome.
So much | know, though I have not as
yet come out.n
''Descriha him to me''
''He is TALL dark, earne 1t in expression.
That is disappointing, know; the mod
ern villain being always tall, fair, insou-
Giant. But-yariety is charming. My
villair, is AZ have said.''
paul Is dark too" says Nadine, arch
ing her brows.
''Ha! SO. The plot thickens! Two
villains i'll one drama is extrayagant-
| wish, however, Paul had been of the
fair, die away order, If only to make -
diversion. Nadine, tell me, why are you
going to marry your unloyed villain2"
''He isn't villainT' begins Nadine;
but Mllicent interrupts her.
ooh, yes. he is!'' she says. ''You take
my word for it. Well, go on"
II am marrying him because-because
| think do like him, and that my absurd
repulsion when absent from him is q
mean feeling only to be conquered to dis
appear forever. And-and mamma will
be happy if l marry him. She is SO
afraid that may ever come to real want
''He is rich, them 4 man of propertyg"
NO. He has a clerkship somewhere
in the city,
Somewhere? Vague ] call that. Well,
my good child, I'd see about that clerk
-l;n If were vou hefora nutfircz nv